Qiao Zhen laughed as if she had heard a joke, her body shaking with laughter, tears welling up in her eyes. "Young master is indeed joking. I am a daughter of a respectable family, and of course you are a son of a respectable family."
She wasn't talking nonsense; everything she said was true. Lu Yuanliu resembled her former husband, Lu Yuanchuan. Her father was the current emperor of Qi, while Lu Yuanliu's father was the emperor's trusted younger brother. Whether Lu Yuanliu was a respectable son depended on whether Qiao Zhen was a respectable daughter.
If Emperor Qi claims to be improper, which minister of Qi would dare to claim to be proper?
Lu Yuanliu felt that Qiao Zhen might be a little off, but that didn't stop him from picking flowers. "Miss is witty; I am ashamed to admit my inferiority."
Qiao Zhen pushed him away a little, "Young master, I've been out for a long time. If I don't go backstage to sing a song, I'm afraid I'll have come all this way for nothing. Would you do me the honor of watching me make a fool of myself?"
Lu Yuanliu said in a flippant tone, "Very good."
Qiao Zhen led Lu Yuanliu to the stage in the backyard. She spread out her long sleeves and began to perform on the stage by herself.
Looking at Qiao Zhen's slender figure, Lu Yuanliu couldn't help but feel a little itchy. He saw a stringed instrument nearby, so he sat down and started playing. With his talent, he gave Qiao Zhen a piece of music that was uniquely hers.
The time it takes for an incense stick to burn passes in the blink of an eye. Qiao Zhen looked up and measured the sky. She lowered her head slightly and said, "Young master, I have been out for a long time and am in a hurry to go back. Please forgive me."
Without waiting for Lu Yuanliu's response, she lifted her skirt and went backstage to change her clothes, then hurriedly left. The medicine she had hidden in her sleeve was not used.
When Lu Yuanliu saw Qiao Zhen leave, he was a man of principle and would never chase after an actress, so he simply asked Ming Fan some questions about Qiao Zhen.
Ming Fan said, "Sister Ju Yi? Sister Ju Yi is not from Hua Man Lou. Her family is wealthy, and the fabric she wears is top-notch, even smoother and softer than what you wear, young master. Sister Ju Yi usually comes here to practice her music on the 9th, 19th, and 29th of each month."
Lu Yuanliu only thought that Qiao Zhen was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, so he did not take Qiao Zhen seriously.
When Qiao Zhen changed her clothes and hurriedly went out, she inevitably overlooked the people on the road because she was in a hurry. When she turned the corner, she bumped right into Lin Yuyun.
Lin Yuyun fell backward.
Lu Yuanchuan reacted quickly and caught Lin Yuyun.
Qiao Zhen barely managed to steady herself by leaning against the wall beside her. After she saw the person in front of her clearly, her gaze lingered on Lu Yuanchuan for only a moment before she looked at Lin Yuyun with a bright smile, "It was this princess who was rash. Is Miss Lin alright?"
Lu Yuanchuan held Lin Yuyun's arm tightly, his back slightly bent, "Your subject greets the princess."
Lin Yuyun's heart skipped a beat. She bowed and said, "This humble woman greets the princess."
Qiao Zhen said softly, "It's nothing. You two seem to have a good relationship. It wasn't for nothing that I let go back then. I wish you happiness."
After she finished speaking, she bent down to straighten the wrinkles on her dress, smiled at Lu Yuanchuan and Lin Yuyun, and then left.
Looking at Qiao Zhen's slender back, Lu Yuanchuan felt a tightness in his heart. He didn't even realize how tightly he was holding Lin Yuyun's hand.
Lin Yuyun could only silently endure the pain. She knew perfectly well that Lu Yuanchuan's feelings for Qiao Zhen were still ambiguous, and she could only try her best to make Lu Yuanchuan realize it later.
If it weren't for Emperor Qi's attack on Prime Minister Lu, how could Lin Yuyun and Lu Yuanchuan's marriage have been delayed until next year?
No matter how much Lin Yuyun hated it, she could only grit her teeth and swallow her hatred. If she could scheme against Qiao Zhen once, she could scheme against Qiao Zhen twice. She never took a woman as reckless and naive as Qiao Zhen seriously.
Only after Qiao Zhen's figure disappeared around the corner did Lu Yuanchuan silently turn his head and say, "Miss Lin, I remember that my younger brother at home has something to ask me, so I cannot go boating on Yu Lake with you. Please forgive me."
Lin Yuyun's heart tightened even more, but she could only put on an understanding expression. "It's alright, Cui Ru will accompany me. If Young Master Lu has something to attend to, you may return first."
Lu Yuanchuan withdrew his hand from Lin Yuyun's and chased after Qiao Zhen's retreating figure.
Qiao Zhen's arm was suddenly grabbed by the man behind her. The slightly cool touch on her wrist told her that the person behind her was Lu Yuanchuan, but she pretended not to know and turned around with her brows slightly furrowed. "Who...Young Master Lu?"
Lu Yuanchuan looked at Qiao Zhen, but he didn't say a word. However, he never let go of Qiao Zhen's wrist.
Qiao Zhen tried to pull her arm away, but to no avail. "Young Master Lu, this princess has nothing to do with you now. As men and women should not touch each other, could you please let go?"
Lu Yuanchuan didn't loosen his grip; instead, he tightened it even more. "Zhenzhen, wait for me."
Qiao Zhen felt bewildered. She forcefully pushed Lu Yuanchuan's hand away. "Young Master Lu, this princess has nothing to do with you anymore. Please don't do anything that could cause misunderstandings, okay? Miss Lin is still waiting for you there, isn't she?"
Lu Yuanchuan forcibly took Qiao Zhen to one of his secluded courtyards that he had left unused. "Zhenzhen, wait for me for another six months, just six months, okay? I will not marry Miss Lin."
Qiao Zhen found it unbelievable that the man who had been so cruel to her before had suddenly broken his coldness and was pleading with her.
This was unbelievable to Qiao Zhen. She could still guess a bit about Lu Yuanchuan back then, but the Lu Yuanchuan in front of her felt extremely unfamiliar.
"No, I find this absurd. Could you please leave first? I need to calm down."
Lu Yuanchuan looked at Qiao Zhen with a complicated expression, but he still let go of Qiao Zhen's arm. "If you calm down, just call me."
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